Sugar may not be love itself, but it can certainly feel like it. This notion finds resonance in Ayurveda, the ancient science dating back 6,000 years. While opinions on sugar consumption vary, Ayurveda recognizes the essentiality of the "sweet" taste and its non-toxic nature for the body.

In Ayurveda, sweet is one of the six essential tastes or raas. It not only refers to the physical sensation on our tongues but also the emotional nourishment our organs receive from various tastes.

Sweet taste is considered cooling, beneficial for balancing pitta (heat) and vata (air) disorders, and has hydrating and nourishing properties. It reduces bleeding and burning sensation and works as a natural aphrodisiac. Sweet or Madhura in Sanskrit, is used as a medicine in eye related conditions. It reverses the sensation of vomiting or nausea, heals ulcers and wounds, and is very helpful in treating certain asthmatic conditions. The raas of sweet is therefore essential for certain body-mind functions.

What is the most suitable form of consuming sugar?

If used intelligently, sugar’s quality of providing an instant energy spike is extremely helpful in certain situations e.g., when exerting yourself physically or to stop someone from fainting. Sugars derived from sugarcane is classified as Guda or jaggery. When it is prepared by boiling the treacle to 1/4th, it is considered at its best form.

New methods of refining sugar though allowing for easy manufacturing, diminishes the medicinal property of sugar. Understanding the process of deriving sugar will help you know the forms which go under least processing and hence are safer or healthier to use. Some of these examples are Jaggery or gur in India and Pakistan, muscovado or khand, turbinado or partially refined brown sugar, rapadura used in Central and Latin America or piloncillo in Mexico.